Garlic Oil
Garlic oil is one of those things we like to have around the kitchen ALL the time. A dipping oil for bread, a flavor boost for sauces, veggies, potatoes, grilled meats…..the uses are endless.
It’s especially great to have on hand for pizza. You can use garlic oil brushed on the dough before a bake, after a bake, in the sauce, as the sauce, as a dip, or drizzled on the pizza before serving.
We’re going to make a couple of different versions today. A roasted and a raw version of garlic oil, both being incredibly easy. Both are great and a must have in the kitchen.
Roasted Garlic Oil
The garlic cloves are slowly cooked until caramel colored and soft. They develop a wonderful roasted, sweet flavor and the oil has a subtle garlic flavor, as compared to the raw garlic oil.
To make you’ll need :
- 1 C Olive OIl
- 2 Whole heads of garlic peeled
- A clean pint sized mason jar and lid for storage
We want all the cloves to be roughly the same size so they cook at the same speed. Cut any larger cloves as needed until all the cloves are a similar size. Place the cloves in a small saucepan, and cover with the oil. If all the cloves aren’t completely covered add a little bit of oil until covered.
Place over low to medium-low heat until the garlic just begins to bubble and slowly simmer for about an hour until the garlic is evenly browned and tender when pierced with a knife.
Place in a clean glass jar and allow to cool. Once cooled in a clean glass jar, the oil can store in the fridge for 3-4 weeks, but it probably won’t make it that long.
Raw Garlic Oil
To make you’ll need:
- 1 C Olive oil
- 1 Whole head of Garlic peeled
- A clean pint sized mason jar and lid for storage
You can use a food processor, blender, stick blender, garlic press, or simply finely mince with a knife. The road you take to combine the garlic and oil doesn’t really matter, just make sure there are no large chunks of garlic. Simply pulse until all the garlic is broke down and evenly dispersed. We want the garlic to be finely minced and similar sized in order to completely infuse the oil. Stir before using.
Raw garlic oil has a short shelf life, even when stored in the fridge. It should be ok for 2-4 days, but we rarely go past day 2. I essentially only make what I need to use . You can also half the amount and simply use 3 or 4 cloves and ½ C Oil.
IMPORTANT
If you’re not aware, the oxygen free environment that is created by storing the garlic in oil creates the potential for botulism. It can be slowed by storing in the fridge. Whatever you do, DO NOT store EITHER version of the garlic oil at room temperature. Do your own research and follow all recommended guidelines.
